Bhanwari case: Former minister Maderna arrested

New Delhi: In a major breakthrough in the Bhanwari Devi missing case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday arrested former Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderna, who is the main accused in the case.

Co-accused Parasram Bishnoi was also arrested alongside Maderna. Bishnoi is the brother of MLA Malkhan Singh, another suspect in the case.

Both Maderna and Bishnoi were arrested after being quizzed by the CBI in its Jodhpur office along with Bhanwari’s husband Amarchand. The investigating agency also recorded their statement in light of the new evidence, which it has collected.
Bhanwari, posted as auxiliary nurse and midwife at a sub-centre in Jaliwada village, around 120 kms from Jodhpur, went missing on September 1 and Maderna is accused of having a role in her disappearance.

In its charge sheet filed before Judge Jagdish Jyani, CBI has accused them of abducting the nurse with an intent to kill (Section 364 IPC), criminal conspiracy (120 B) and various sections of SC and ST Act.

The agency in its charge sheet named Maderna and absconding suspect Sahiram.

The agency, which is yet to trace the nurse who went missing on September 1, filed the charge sheet in the case as the 90-day deadline following the arrest of the three accused was about to expire next week.

Maderna had earlier accepted before the CBI that he had a relationship with the missing nurse but denied any role in her going missing.

It should be noted that CBI has not yet declared Bhanwari Devi as dead because her body has not been found.

Meanwhile, the arrest of Maderna is being considered as huge embarrassment for the Ashok Gehlot government, which is already facing a lot of flak since the time, this case came into limelight.
Earlier in the day, the CBI filed chargesheet against four people in connection with the alleged kidnapping and murder of Rajasthan nurse Bhanwari Devi.

Those who have been booked are Sohanlal, Sahi Ram Bishnoi, Shahabuddin and Baldev for their role in the kidnapping of the nurse and her possible murder.

The chargesheet was filed hours after forensic experts of the probe agency found credible evidence from some lime-klins from Bilara and Pipara areas of the state.

The CBI claimed of founding important evidence - blood, hair, cloth and locket - from a Bolero belonging to Shahbuddin – having links with sacked Rajasthan minister Mahipal Maderana. Both are accused in the case.

The investigating agency also recorded the statement of labourers working at the lime-klins in connection with Bhanwari Devi’s alleged kidnapping and murder.

In view of the fresh evidence, the CBI is suspecting that the nurse was murdered and her body disposed off in the line klins.

Forensic experts are trying to match the samples collected from the area with those of Bhanwari’s relatives to verify and ascertain if she was killed and her body in the lime klins.